Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Knew Everything
Georgia stared at her mother.
Blood stained Evelyn’s sleeve.
Martin Hale stood behind her with a gun pressed against her head.
For one impossible second, nobody moved.
Then Georgia whispered, “Mom.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears.
“Georgia, don’t.”
Martin tightened his grip.
“She’s been telling you things for years,” he said. “Tonight, you finally get to hear the ones she kept hidden.”
Damiano stepped forward.
Martin immediately shifted the gun.
“Stay where you are, Fontana.”
Damiano stopped.
His eyes never left the weapon.
Georgia could barely breathe.
“Martin, let her go.”
“You still trust me?”
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
Martin smiled.
“At least your father taught you something.”
Evelyn closed her eyes.
“Georgia, listen to me.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do not believe everything he tells you.”
Martin laughed softly.
“She still thinks she can protect you.”
Georgia looked at her mother.
“Why are you here?”
Evelyn’s face crumpled.
“Because I knew this day would come.”
“What day?”
“The day you found the ledger.”
Georgia held up the black book.
“You knew about this?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Twenty years.”
Georgia felt something inside her crack.
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
Her mother’s voice broke.
“I did.”
Georgia stepped closer.
Damiano caught her arm.
Martin noticed.
“There. That’s the problem.”
His eyes moved between them.
“You trust him now.”
Georgia glared.
“I don’t trust anyone.”
“Good.”
Martin pushed Evelyn toward the room.
“Walk.”
Evelyn obeyed.
Georgia watched her mother move toward the table.
“Why did you bring her here?”
“I didn’t.”
Martin smiled.
“She came willingly.”
Georgia looked at Evelyn.
“Is that true?”
Evelyn nodded.
“I came because I knew Martin had found the archive.”
“Why?”
“Because he was looking for something your father hid.”
“The ledger?”
“No.”
Evelyn looked at Georgia.
“The second half.”
Georgia’s stomach dropped.
“There are two ledgers?”
“Two parts,” Evelyn said. “Your father separated them.”
Martin shook his head.
“He separated one book into two.”
Damiano spoke.
“Where is the other half?”
Martin smiled.
“That’s the question.”
Georgia looked at her mother.
“You know.”
Evelyn didn’t answer.
“Mom.”
“I know where it was hidden.”
“Was?”
Evelyn’s eyes moved toward Martin.
“He already found it.”
Martin’s smile disappeared.
Georgia looked at him.
“Where?”
He raised the gun slightly.
“You’re asking the wrong question again.”
Damiano’s voice was cold.
“Then ask the right one.”
Martin looked at him.
“Why did Salvatore Fontana let Patrick Flynn live?”
Damiano’s expression tightened.
“He didn’t.”
Martin laughed.
“That’s what you were told.”
Georgia looked at Damiano.
“What is he talking about?”
Damiano didn’t answer.
Martin continued.
“Your father discovered the ledger. Patrick discovered the same network. They worked together.”
He pointed at Damiano.
“Salvatore knew the network could destroy his family.”
“So he helped my father.”
“For a while.”
“And then?”
“Then Salvatore realized the ledger contained something far more dangerous than financial crimes.”
“What?”
Martin looked at Georgia.
“Names.”
“Whose names?”
“People powerful enough to destroy entire governments.”
Georgia stared.
“That sounds impossible.”
“It isn’t.”
Martin turned toward the ledger.
“Your father wasn’t killed because he knew too much.”
He looked at Evelyn.
“He was killed because he copied the wrong page.”
Georgia’s heart stopped.
“What page?”
Evelyn whispered, “Page 114.”
Georgia immediately remembered the missing page.
“Where is it?”
Martin smiled.
“Gone.”
“Who took it?”
Martin’s eyes moved toward Damiano.
“Ask him.”
Georgia turned.
Damiano looked furious.
“I never saw page 114.”
Martin laughed.
“You did.”
“When?”
“The night your father died.”
Damiano went completely still.
Georgia stared at him.
“Damiano?”
He looked at her.
“I was twenty-one.”
“And?”
“I remember that night.”
“What happened?”
Damiano’s jaw tightened.
“My father sent me away.”
“Why?”
“He said there had been an accident.”
“What accident?”
“Patrick had been shot.”
Georgia’s breath caught.
“You knew?”
“I knew someone had been shot.”
“You knew my father was involved?”
“No.”
“You saw him?”
Damiano looked down.
“Yes.”
Georgia stepped back.
“You saw my father the night he died?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me.”
“I didn’t know it was him.”
“What do you mean?”
“My father showed me a body.”
Georgia’s face went pale.
“You saw a body?”
“Yes.”
“Was it my father?”
Damiano hesitated.
“I couldn’t see his face.”
Martin laughed.
“Because Salvatore made sure it was burned beyond recognition.”
Georgia stared at him.
“You’re saying my father’s body was never identified?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“Georgia…”
“No.”
Georgia’s voice trembled.
“You told me he died at the hospital.”
“I was told that.”
“By who?”
Evelyn looked toward Martin.
Georgia understood.
“Martin.”
“Yes.”
“You told my mother.”
“I told her what she needed to believe.”
Georgia turned toward him.
“You said my father died because he refused to cooperate.”
“He did.”
“But you didn’t know it was him.”
“I knew enough.”
Damiano stepped forward.
Martin immediately raised the gun.
“Don’t.”
Damiano stopped.
Georgia saw the calculation in his eyes.
He was waiting.
For an opening.
For a mistake.
She understood.
Damiano wasn’t afraid.
He was buying time.
Georgia looked around the room.
Two armed guards stood near the hallway.
Trevor was behind the desk.
Marco was near the emergency exit.
Martin had positioned himself between Evelyn and the only clear path.
Georgia needed to distract him.
“Martin.”
He looked at her.
“Where is page 114?”
His eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because if you knew my father, you know he left clues.”
“You’re not your father.”
“No.”
Georgia slowly raised the ledger.
“I’m smarter.”
Martin smiled.
“Careful.”
“You’re scared.”
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But she saw it.
“You’re scared I’ll find something.”
Martin’s gun shifted.
Damiano noticed.
Georgia continued.
“You didn’t come here for the ledger.”
Martin said nothing.
“You came for something else.”
“What?”
“The memory card.”
Martin’s face hardened.
Georgia knew she had hit something.
“You know about the recording.”
“Yes.”
“You know what my father said.”
“Yes.”
“You know who was behind the network.”
Martin stared at her.
“And you’re terrified I’ll hear the rest.”
Silence.
Evelyn suddenly spoke.
“Georgia, stop.”
Her voice was desperate.
Martin turned toward her.
That was enough.
Damiano moved.
He crossed the room in a blur.
Martin fired.
The shot struck the ceiling.
Marco tackled one of the guards.
Trevor dropped behind the desk.
Georgia grabbed her mother and pulled her toward the wall.
Another shot exploded.
Glass shattered.
Damiano reached Martin.
They crashed into the table.
The ledger flew across the room.
Georgia screamed.
Martin struck Damiano across the face.
Damiano staggered.
Martin reached for the ledger.
Georgia kicked it away.
He turned toward her.
Their eyes met.
“You should have stayed ignorant.”
He lunged.
Georgia backed away.
Then Evelyn stepped between them.
Martin froze.
“Evelyn.”
Her mother stared at him.
“You've already taken enough.”
Martin’s face changed.
For the first time, Georgia saw something that looked like genuine fear.
Not fear of Damiano.
Fear of her mother.
“What did you do?” Martin whispered.
Evelyn reached into her coat.
Martin raised the gun.
“Don’t.”
She pulled out a small device.
A recorder.
“I kept a copy.”
Martin’s face went white.
“Of what?”
“Everything.”
Georgia stared.
Her mother pressed the button.
Martin’s own voice filled the room.
“Patrick never knew I had already spoken to Georgia’s mother.”
Then another recording.
Martin’s voice again.
“If Salvatore refuses, Patrick dies.”
Georgia covered her mouth.
Damiano looked at Martin.
“You ordered it.”
Martin’s face twisted.
“No.”
The recording continued.
“Evelyn knows what happens if she talks.”
Evelyn’s eyes filled with tears.
Georgia looked at her.
“You recorded him.”
“I had to.”
“When?”
“Twenty years ago.”
Martin lunged for the recorder.
Evelyn dropped it.
Georgia caught it.
Martin pointed the gun at her.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Georgia.”
She held it tighter.
“Come get it.”
Damiano moved beside her.
Martin looked between them.
“You really think he’ll protect you?”
Georgia said nothing.
Martin’s expression changed.
“You should ask him about the night his father died.”
Damiano froze.
Martin smiled.
“Ask him who was in the room.”
Georgia looked at Damiano.
“Who?”
He didn’t answer.
“Damiano.”
His eyes closed briefly.
Then he spoke.
“My father.”
“And?”
“My mother.”
Georgia waited.
“Who else?”
Damiano looked directly at her.
“Your mother.”
Georgia’s heart stopped.
Evelyn whispered, “I had no choice.”
Martin laughed.
“You always had a choice.”
Damiano’s voice became low.
“What happened that night?”
Evelyn looked at him.
“Salvatore wanted to destroy the ledger.”
“What did you do?”
“I stopped him.”
Damiano stared.
“You stopped my father?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Patrick had already hidden the second half.”
Georgia suddenly understood.
The second half had never been money.
It was evidence.
Proof.
Something powerful enough to expose everyone.
“Where is it?” Georgia asked.
Evelyn looked at her daughter.
“Your father gave it to you.”
Georgia shook her head.
“I’ve never had it.”
“Yes, you have.”
“No.”
Evelyn stepped closer.
“When you were eight.”
Georgia searched her memory.
Her eighth birthday.
The restaurant.
Her father had given her a small wooden music box.
She still had it.
It had disappeared after her mother sold the house.
Georgia’s face changed.
“The music box.”
Evelyn nodded.
“Your father hid the second half inside it.”
Damiano looked at Georgia.
“Where is it now?”
Georgia’s mind raced.
Her mother had kept almost nothing from the old house.
But the music box—
She knew exactly where it was.
At her office.
In the locked cabinet behind her desk.
Martin suddenly smiled.
Georgia noticed.
“You know where it is.”
Martin’s smile widened.
“Yes.”
Damiano immediately turned toward him.
“How?”
Martin looked at Georgia.
“Because I was the one who put it there.”
Silence.
Georgia’s blood turned cold.
“You?”
Martin nodded.
“Your father asked me to hide it.”
“Then why are you trying to kill us?”
Martin’s eyes hardened.
“Because I wasn’t the only one who knew where he put it.”
“Who else?”
Martin looked toward Evelyn.
Then Damiano.
Finally, he looked back at Georgia.
“Someone who has been watching you since the day you were born.”
Before Georgia could speak, every light in the office went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
A second later, her phone vibrated.
One new message.
COME TO YOUR HOUSE ALONE.
A second message arrived immediately.
BRING THE MUSIC BOX.
Georgia stared at the screen.
May you like
Then a third message appeared.
OR YOUR MOTHER DIES.
